HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!!!
 
The Rotary Club of
Ojai
 

Ojai Rotary Reminder Newsletter
March 17th, 2023

Haady Lashkari, Editor

March is Water and Sanitation Month

Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. 
Our 1.2 million-member organization started with the vision of one man—Paul P. Harris. The Chicago attorney formed one of the world’s first service organizations, the Rotary Club of Chicago, on 23 February 1905 as a place where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of each member.
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In the Beginning...
 
Co-Presidents Babayco and Bliss welcomed the “almost Irish” club he knows—The Rotary Club of O’ Ojai!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bruce Henson led the Pledge of Allegiance and Kevin Davis led the Inspirational Moment:
 
 
Sometimes coming up here to address my fellow Rotarians and honored guests I try to be stoic and principled. But other days – like St. Patrick’s Day – call for different fare.  

So I give you some of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day quotes and truisms:

 

“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow. And my trouble avoid you wherever you go.”

 

"Never iron a four-leaf clover because you don't want to press your luck."

 

"May your trouble be less. And your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door."

 

On luck, the great Irish Roman Lucius Anneaus Seneca said, “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”

 

And finally I will leave you with this truism: “There are only two kinds of people in the world: the Irish, and those who wish they were.”

 

So "Here's to you and here's to me, I pray that friends we'll always be, but if by chance we disagree, the heck with you and here's to me." 

 
 
Thank You’s and Introductions:  
 
The following individuals were also thanked: 
 
Greeter:   Suzanne Scar
 
Pledge -   Bruce Henson 
  
Invocation -  Kevin Davis
 
Welcome Table – Dave Brubaker
 
Cash Box – Dave Brubaker
 
Fine Master – Sean McDermott
 
Roving Mic -  Bret Nighman
 
Reminder Editor -  Haady Lashkari
 
Room setup – Sean McDermott
 
Dr. Gross for being our photographer
 
 
Rotarian Visitors and Guests
 
The following Guests were welcomed:
 
Gabe Fabre, John Ruf, John Swift, Laurianne Burgevon, Kevin and Ash, Ruf.
 
Announcements:
 
Club Business Meeting Dates:
 
International Service Committee: The International Service Committee meeting is next Tuesday, March 21 at 7:30AM. 
Remote or in person. Always the 3rd Tuesday of the month.
 
 
Taste of Ojai: Suzanne Scar reminded Club members that Taste of Ojai is coming up. Kevin Davis encourage everyone to use the hashtag #TasteofOjai23 for Social Media and encouraged everyone to participate in 4 posts before next meeting.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
District Virtual Training Assembly: Tomorrow, Saturday, March 18th.
 
All members received an email notice and it’s not too late to sign up.
March 24—Something Different: A Garden and Animal Tour—Cheree and Don Edwards and Peggy and John Russell’s homes. Signups now available for a boxed lunch and Peggy’s famous homemade cookies. Meet at Cheree’s home. Parking is limited.
 
5th Friday Social on March 31stOjai Brewing Company on Bryant Street. 5-7PM. No sign up required, show up, buy a beverage and enjoy time with your favorite Rotarians! A food truck will be on-site.
 
 
 
Special Award: Fred Clapp Memorial Ethics in Business Award
 
Larry Beckett and Al West presented the award to Caroline Murillo of Flora Gardens!
 
Flora Gardens was founded in 2009 by Carolina Murillo and her son Danny. Flora focuses on helping customers create their ideal gardens with a special emphasis on drought-tolerance and plants for Ojai’s Mediterranean climate.
 
 
Upcoming Programs:
 
March 24th: Something Different: A Garden and Animal Tour
 
March 31st: 5th Friday Social—Ojai Brewery 5-7PM
 
April 7th Chuck Graham-The Carrizo Plain
 
April 14th Dark (Prepare for Taste of Ojai)
 
April 16th: Taste of Ojai
 
 
 
Fining and Confessions
 
Sean McDermott led Fining and Confessions:
 
Cheree Edwards announced she’s happy to have completed her treatments and is looking forward to seeing everyone next week at 4th Friday.
 
Wendy Barker shared that the Ojai Museum is hosting an event tonight: “Invaders of the Ojai Valley”. Wendy also invited the club to join a a short talk, book signing and tour of historic Grey Gables, the birthplace of AARP and a model for a new type of retirement living.
 
Event will be at The Gables of Ojai on Sunday, March 26 at 1:30 pm at 701 N. Montgomery. Local historians and authors will talk about, and sign their new book. The Dignity They Deserve: The Story of Grey Gables of Ojai and Its Founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus was just published by the Museum. It tells the story of AARP founder Dr. Andrus and how Grey Gables was a national model for a new type of retirement living.
 
Greg announced that Greg Rents has a new YouTube page dropping “how to” videos!
 
 
Sean went onto share his St. Patrick’s Day themed “Sean o’ nanigans” Fining session. Our very own Deirdre Daly was highlighted in a couple of the questions.
 
Program:
 
 
Dr. Jonathan Swift, Director of the Thacher School Observatory.
 
Jon was born in New York but grew up surfing and playing sports in North County, San Diego. His first loves are poetry and music. However, Jon’s fascination with the natural world led him to the intellectual frontiers of astronomy and astrophysics, where he has published his research in several areas of specialization, including cosmology, star formation, exoplanets, and astronomical instrumentation.
 
He graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA with a BS in physics, and earned an MA and a PhD in astronomy & astrophysics from UC Berkeley.
 
At Thacher, Jon redesigned and renovated the campus observatory which now includes a fully automated, research-grade telescope. In addition to directing the observatory and maintaining a vibrant research program where students are able to participate in relevant astronomical research, Jon teaches astronomy, physics, mathematics, and data science.
 
Outside the classroom, Jon runs the winter camping program and coaches the varsity boys’ tennis team. Jon lives on the Thacher campus with his wife Gloria, daughter Annika, and son Ansel.
 
 
Dr. Swift gave an interesting presentation on Immersion Science and The Thacher School’s Observatory. The Thacher Observatory is a small telescope observatory located on the campus of The Thacher School in Ventura County, California, with a legacy of astronomy research that dates back to the late 1950’s.
 
In 2016, the observatory was renovated and converted into a fully automated, research-grade facility. The low-elevation site is bordered by the Los Padres National Forest and therefore affords dark to very dark skies allowing for accurate and precise photometric observations.
 
The education and research goals of the Thacher Observatory go hand in hand as our mission is to engage in meaningful and relevant astronomical research as a means for learning physics, astronomy, and programming while also providing a motivating force that encourages students to strive for excellence, build practical skills, engage in equitable collaboration, and hone our ability to communicate in a professional setting.
 
 
For more information on the Thacher School’s Observatory please visit:
 
 
 
 
Closing Remarks:
 
President Babayco reminded the club next week is not on site.  
 
He also finished with 2 “Life Hacks”:
 
“The chief prevention against getting old is to remain astonished”.
 
“Don’t believe everything you think you believe”
 
 
 
 

You are invited to visit us at an upcoming meeting.

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